OTOROHANGA NEWS.

Waipa Post, Volume XVIII, Issue 1009, 21 October 1920, Page 5

OTOROHANGA NEWS.

GENERAL ITEMS.

The holding of a floral fete is in contemplation, and the first meeting of the committee is called for Tuesday evening next, at 8 o'clock, in the Presbyterian Hall. The cantata " Esther " is to be performed at the Otorohanga Town Hall on Monday evening. The performers are members of the choir of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Te Kuiti, who have already publicly demonstrated their ability to interpret this beautiful work.

His many friends here will regret to hear of the illness of Mr W. T. Jennings, M.P., who has had to obtain three days' leave of absence from his public duties.

The settlers of Maihiihi are to be congratulated on the result of their efforts to get an. amendment of the Rabbit Act, so 'as to enable a rating area to be defined under local bodies' control for the purpose of providing netting 'for the settlers on their respective properties. It will be remembered that a deputation of MaihiihP settlers, headed by Messrs Worsfold and Swainson, waited on the Minister of Agriculture at Otorohanga some months ago, and were then promised by Mr Nosworthy that he would look into the matter. In the Counties Bill which was before* Parliament last week the local bodies are given power to purchase netting and sell it on such terms as they think fit to the settlers. This is just what the Maihiihi people suggested, and it is to their credit, that they have stuck to their guns, keeping the matter well before the Minister by forceful ■ and judicious representation. Through Mr P. P. Hockly, M.P., the Minister of Agriculture has expressed an opinion that the most practical course to follow is to net an area and leave each settler to control the rabbits on his own property within that area.

In reply to a question' by Mr W. T. Jennings, M.P., the Minister for Tourist and Health Resorts has stated that extensive additions and renovations to the hostel at Waitomo Caves will be proceeded with at an early date. The grounds are also to be improved. The New Zealand Dairy Company is having a turntable put in position at the further end.of its siding. This is 'for the purpose of delivering coal straight from the truck into the bunkers. Hitherto the coal has had to be taken from the trucks and then hauled some ten or fifteen yards to the corner of the factory where the coal is kept.

The contractor has oommenced the erection of additions, in wood, to the premises of the Bank of New Zealand. 'The new portion is to consist of a manager's room and a bedroom for the resident officer in charge. Beside this the present office is to be altered and greatly improved as far as official accommodation and the convenience of the public are concerned. Mr H. Benner has been elected president of the' Otorohanga Bowling Club in place of Mr E. H. Oudaille, who lately resigned. * In connection with the Te Mapara and Kio Kio ' drainage scheme the Minister (for Lands has intimated that the following subsidies are to be " noted for consideration" with the supplementary estimates, viz., Kio Kio drainage area, £l5O (£los in the £), and Te Mapara area,.£2oo (10s in the £1). No, we cannot say who is responsible for the untidy condition of the pathway in front of the Town Hall. This in reply to " Citizen," who has drawn attention'to the unsightly, not to say disgraceful, appearance of the frontage of Otorohanga's only public building, owing to accumulation of paper, cigarette butts and packets, etc. In response to Mr Clements' application for assistance towards an ac.cess road to his Kakepuku property, the Waitomo County Council has decided to give him a donation of £ls towards that object. With regard to Sainsbury Road, in which matter Cr Potts and the county engineer had to con'fer with the engineer of the Raglaji County Council, •for the purpose of discussing repairs to be effected, it was decided that the s'awmilling company be asked to -contribute one third of the total cost of the work, which is approximated at £l2o.*»Tke negotiations in this respect ewere left to the Raglan engineer.

The contract for the metalling of the Mangaiti Road with quarry shellrock has been let at a cost of 8s 6d per yard. As mentioned in these columns a few weeks ago, the movement to get an Oddfellows' lodge here has been pushed on, and is likely to become an established fact. In our, advertising columns will be found an announcement of the approaching visit to Otorohanga of Bro. John McLeod, P.G.M., of Auckland who will give an address on the benefits of becoming an Oddfellow in the Town Hall chambers next Saturday evening, at 7 o'clock. What has surprised and disgusted those who have supported th» claims of the returned soldiers in the Taihaia p (Edkin's) settlement for immediate assistance to get proper access from the ,Te Kuiti Road is the dillydallying of the Government Department. The settlers are no further forward in the matter of access, and their condition is a disgrace to the authorities. The Waitomo County Council have done their best to the settlers relief in the matter and it was thought at one time that there would have been a proper road in existence ere now. However, the disgraceful state of affairs still obtains and last week the settlers met with a view of taking steps to form themselves into a special rating area for the purpose of having the road drained, or else deviating it to the Otewa road. However, nothing was decided beyond asking the Government to send up the chief drainage officer to report and suggest a scheme that would give immediate relief. In the meantime ttib settlers are liable to find themselves unable to either get their cream out or their stores in, for the track is made impassable by any ordinary rainfall. The fact of the matter is that the Government department does not seem to know the status of the so-called road —whether it is a Public Works' road or a gazetted comity road or whether the portion that is subject to inundation is within or outside the settlement. Whether there is a County ranger

or poundkeeper up this way or not, appears to be a matter of uncertainty but there is every certainty of straying horses on the roads, and their presence upon the highways, means danger to human life and limb. as. well as mo;or cars. u On two occasions lately there" have been ' narrow escapes from fatalities owing to horses being run into by cars and the question has arisen as to whose the responsibility is, and whether damages* could be claimed from the local body # • who is supposed to have # the care of j the Highways*